Praised as “strikingly original” (NY Times), Kamala Sankaram moves freely between the worlds of experimental music, creative music, and contemporary opera. Known for pushing the boundaries of form and style, she has created work for the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (as 2023 artist-in-residence), an opera for the trees of Prospect Park, a techno-noir featuring live datamining of the audience and a chorus of 25 singing tablet computers, and the world’s first virtual reality opera, among other pieces. She has been commissioned by the Glimmerglass Festival (as 2022 artist-in-residence), Washington National Opera, Houston Grand Opera, the PROTOTYPE Festival, and Creative Time, among others. She is currently a member of the New Works Initiative at Minnesota Opera. As a biracial Indian American and trained sitarist, Kamala has drawn on Indian classical music in many of her works, including Thumbprint, A Rose, Monkey and Francine in the City of Tigers, and the Jungle Book. 

Dr. Sankaram holds a PhD from the New School and is currently a member of the composition faculties at the Mannes College of Music and SUNY Purchase. www.kamalasankaram.com